Saving the Spirits
by Iced Insanity
Summary: [AU; InuKag] It's not everyday that a strange woman tells a young Kagome Higurashi to save a bunch of people who happen to be dead. In fact, these people are actually spirits -- bound to a fate that only Kagome can prevent.
1. Hard Knock Life

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

**Author's Note: **[Re-edit. I noticed a few errors, which I was practically dying to fix.] 

This is my first Inuyasha fic, inspired by my everyday daydreams. I am pretty sure that there are no other stories similar like it; and if you do believe that someone else wrote a fic akin to this one, please do inform me. However, I am still starting this fanfic so the plotline of the story is not yet revealed...

Though, I might say, I have a lot planned for this story – so I'll let you people in on something. It's going to be an Inu/Kag story, along with minor Mir/San pairings. There might be more pairing to this, but to reveal this will spoil the plotline. *winks mysteriously*

Oh, yes. I'm one of those people who just downright dislike Kikyo, but there will, in no way, be any Kikyo bashing here, not in my works of literature. As upsetting to most of you it will be, Kikyo will be portrayed with a sense of respect.

By the way, this fanfic is written in PG-13, for language and Miroku with his lecherous ways. And no, I don't write lemons, I just read 'em. ;D

Anyway, I'll shut up my blabbering for now... Hehe. Enjoy! 

--

It's a Hard Knock Life 

x Iced Insanity

--

      I vaguely strummed the frets of my guitar, every now and then shifting my finger position to go along with the beat. It was a hot, spring day at Tachiyama High School, a private school for the wealthy and the gifted. I sat on the edge of a brick wall in the school courtyard, idly watching as my fellow classmates walked on by, hurrying to their classes.

      Why am I not in class? Well, this is because I got kicked out of P.E. class, because I 'accidentally' kicked the soccer ball to Miroku's face. I, Kagome Higurashi, supposedly caused him a broken nose and a missing tooth.

      It's not like I was out to kill him or anything… Well, actually, I was. The insolent little fool had taken the dear sweet time to snap my bra strap as I was ready to kick the ball. I swear, it was all done in such a fluid motion that I didn't notice until I started running, with my… uh, *ahem* jiggling back and forth. I was wearing a strapless bra, then; imagine my surprise when I felt it fall down on to my waist.

_Got no folks to speak of so  
It's the hard knock row we hoe  
Cotton blankets… steada wool_

      You couldn't blame me. The majority of the boys were staring, greedy eyes hungrily watching me with each step I took. It wasn't as if I didn't wear a shirt, it was just that, well, according to Miroku, I had just above average boobies.

_Empty bellies  
Steada full_

      I heaved a sigh, shaking my head out of my thoughts. The bell would ring soon, and next period will come up next. The school secretary would probably stroll in, the audacious little slut she is, and request me to follow her to the guidance department.

     And in the guidance department, I'm pretty damn sure that they would be requesting me to take anger management classes. And when I would try to explain, they would only shake their heads, saying that Miroku Houshi would never, ever, commit such a hentai thing such as that.

_Don't you feel like the wind is always howlin?  
Doesn't it seem like there's never any light?  
Once a day, don't you wanna put the towel in?  
It's easier than putting up a fight_

      Besides not believing my entirely tangible story, they would also ring my parents… er, parent, that is. I live with my mother, since my father... sort of bailed out on us. So it's always been me, my mother, my crazy grandfather, my younger brother Souta, and, of course, my perfect sister Kikyo.

      Well, anyway, back to the point. Most kids would dread that phone call from the school to their parents, and most kids won't. Well, I'm one of the kids that dread the phone call, since 1) It ruins my dignity, and 2) It sort of rubs in the fact that I, against Kikyo, am inferior.

      "Why can't you be like your sister?" My mother would have said with a sigh. The guidance counselor across from me would solemnly nod, taking that perfect moment to brag about Miss Kikyo Higurashi, President of the Student Council, current cheerleader captain, and the Senior's nominee for Graduating Class's Valedictorian.

_No one cares when your dreams at night get creepy  
No one cares if you grow, or shrink  
No one cares if your eyes get all wet and weepy  
From all the cryin' you'd think this place would sink  
Oh.. oh…_

      It's not like I don't love my sister or anything, I really do. More than anything. Heck, I would even die for her, and she totally knows that. I'm just following in her footsteps, and all my life, I've been trying to step out of her damn shadow.

      When I was five, I was really into horseback riding. She was seven, then, and she had been horseback riding for two years. She was an expert rider, winning ribbons and trophies here and there, while I, on the other hand, fell off the fat black pony offered to me, and landed face-first into horsy-dung.

      The time when I started third grade, I came home so proud, getting that glorious C- on my multiplication quiz. Kikyo came home with her pretty fifth grader's report card, filled with straight As. The little smart ass, and it didn't help at all when she took one look at my C- and offered me a smile, with a hearty congratulations.

      She's so freaking nice and perfect, which makes me love her and hate her at the same time.

_Empty belly life!  
Rotten smelly life!  
Full of sorrow life!  
No tomorrow life!_

      I sighed, glancing inside the school windows as the students gradually filed out. The early bell had rung, giving me at least five more minutes outside, in my quiet peace. At this current moment, I did't have any groping Miroku, or any nosy Yuka, Ayumi, or Emi around.

_Santa Claus we never see…  
Santa Claus? Who's that? Who's he?_

      I saw my older sister pass around the corridor, accompanied by her good friend Kagura. I watched the two stroll about, cheerfully chatting about their Calculus assignment. My gaze locked on Kikyo's face, who somehow sensed it. Her brown eyes slid over to my own – a strange shade, brown, with traces of blue. I always was complemented on my eyes, and never a time did I doubt them. I knew my eyes were different. Even the great Crayola company had no crayon of that shade.

      Kikyo smiled, sending me a casual wave as she walked past. She seemed to be somewhat in a semi-rush, for she doesn't usually stop and talk to me like she always does. I wondered what was up…

      Kagura looked towards me, as well. Her cold, red eyes softened somewhat. Her perfectly shaped lips curved into a mixture of a smirk and a grin, silently sending me a hello just as Kikyo did. That done, her eyes glazed over in their normal, cold expression again, tugging my sister as they continue off to their other class.

      Kagura may appear cruel, or even snobbish, but she's really kind, deep down… somewhere. She and Kikyo have been the best of friends ever since they were three, and the two girls grew up together, along with me, occasionally tagging along here and there.

_No one cares for you a smidge  
Not even if you're in an orphanage  _

      I watched as the two girls turn around the corner, vanishing from my eyesight. Something told me that I should head over to my next class, and quick, before I get another detention. But at that moment of peace, I felt so damn comfortable that my butt appeared to be glued to the cement of the brick wall. I couldn't stand up – I was stuck.

      Blankly I stared ahead, idly strumming my guitar as random students walk past. And there I stayed, until a flash of silver passed through. Eyes at last regaining their sight, I peered closer at the flash of silver, focusing on the figure in front of me.

      It's a woman… No, a man. A cross dresser? I don't know, but whatever in front of me appears to be both womanly, and manly at the same time. Their figure, I notice, as I let my eyes take the person over, is definitely, one of a man's. Look at _those_ abs, and those arms… _Oh la la._

      I almost started to give out a wolf-whistle as the boy stepped over, half lidded eyes studying my face. His expression appeared bored, but very dignified and polite. He must have be one of those rich, snobby types. I really did hate those kind of people…

      "Hey." I started coolly, trying to remember what his name was. "You're a senior, called… Fluffy, right?"

      "Sesshomaru," he said coldly, nearly sneering at me. "You should know that, Kikyo."

      Ah, the badass type. I like. I really li—wait, did he call me Kikyo?! Come on, people, I may be related to her but I'm not her twin! Goodness gracious, I know I do look like her just a little bit but do people really think I look like I'm telepathically connected to her?

      Well, yes, they do. I've always been mistaken for my sister, and it really sucks. Just because we're both the same height, nearly the same shape of the face – except for the eyes, AND the same hair, doesn't mean that we look exactly alike. Right? Right.

      "Well, my name is Kagome. Get it? KA-GO-ME," I said slowly, as if he were stupid. "I'm not Kikyo, I'm KAGOME!"

      I felt my eyes curve into that of a glare, and I knew I was probably giving him one of my deadly, go-away-right-now-or-I'll-hurt-you looks. But he seemed unfazed, his bored expression unchanging, nor unflinching. I bet, if I poked him in the eye he'd just remain how he was.

      Loser.

      "I apologize," He said calmly. "I shall depart now."

      I felt my cheeks burn with complete rage, as I glared daggers at his departing back. Giving him an inappropriate hand gesture, I gathered my things, muttering incoherent curses under my breath. Oooh, how can he NOT fall under that gaze? Not even waver in the least?

      I let out an unladylike snort as I head towards my next class.

_It's the hard knock life for us  
It's the hard knock life for us  
No one cares for you a smidge  
Not when you're in an orphanage  
It's the hard knock life  
It's the hard knock life  
It's the hard knock life!_

      I was going to make that idiotic Sesshomaru pay. A few slugs in his locker would be nice, so would a 'KICK-ME' sign on his back… I grinned malevolently, starting to plot.

      _"KAGOME!"_

      I screamed, dropping my books in surprise. Immediately I turned around, catching gaze with Miroku Houshi, and for a moment I stare at him like a child who stole the cookies from the cookie jar. The blubbering idiot didn't seem to notice, for his lecherous smile was on his face.

      "Here, let me get those books for you…" He offered politely, reaching down to grab my books. Suddenly, I saw him lose balance, arms reaching out for some support, something to keep him upright.

      And then, at that moment, my eyes widened, nearly popping out of their sockets. Sooner or later I would have been blind, for I really do think they would have popped out any moment. Because, of all the places Miroku had to grab…

      **He grabbed my crotch, as well as my butt.**

      I screamed like a banshee, causing the students walking past to stop and give me a strange look. What a spectacle I must have been, right over there. Blood gushed up over my face, my cheeks turning into every shade of red one could possibly imagine. And heck, I'm pretty sure I had made up a few new shades, as well.

     Miroku was grinning like a silly idiot, like a child who finally got his ice cream. Ice cream… that did not, at all, belong to him.

     _"MIROKU!"_ I hissed loudly, lifting my foot to kick him in his miniscule nuts. _"YOU PROBABLY DID THAT ON PURPOSE, YOU DAMN HENTAI! I SWEAR, THE NEXT TIME YOU DO THAT I'LL—"_

      "HIGURASHI! HOUSHI!" Bellowed a voice, causing the both of us to jump. There, in the courtyard entrance, stands the Principal himself, looking down up on us with his small, carrot-like nose. "I wish to see you in my office, _immediately_."

--

**Author's Notes: **So, anyway, what did you guys think? Inuyasha doesn't come in until the third chapter, I think, and he's only mentioned in the second... But I hope you can still cope with Kagome, Miroku, Kikyo, and Kagura around!

I really really really really love Kagura, she's so cool.

But yes. Kikyo will be a good girl for a time. I think she's perfectly IC, because I think that was what she was like before she was resurrected in a cold, clay body by that old-hag chick. I'd be the same way, if I were prancing around like a hyperactive freak in heaven, and some retard brought me back to life in a body made out of dirt.

Plus, it'd sorta suck if you saw the one guy you've loved for eternity with another woman, even if it is your reincarnate. Not that I agree with Kikyo and Inuyasha's relationship heading for a second round...

I'm just saying that she's bitchy because she's a) Grumpy because she has to return to life again; b) forced to live in a body made from dirt, probably composed partly of animal droppings; c) Forced to live under some sort of spell.

[Edit] Alright, In added a few sentences here and there, and changed the whole chapter into past tense. Please do inform me if you spot an error I failed to correct. Just don't put any posts like this_: "OMFG I HATE YOU SO MUCH! YOU USED IMPROPER GRAMMER!"_

…It hurts my feelings. ;_;

Okay... I'll shut up now. But review, review, review, reeevieeew!****


	2. Trouble

**Disclaimer: **I don't Inuyasha. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

**Author's Note: **Thank you for the reviews. I was expecting that I won't get any… Well, anyway, next chapter is up, but there's still no Inuyasha. Just a little bit of Miroku, and a lot of Kikyo. Hehe, enjoy!

[Edit] Went through this chapter and edited a few lines. I realized I made a lot of grammar mistakes throughout most of this fic… -shifty eyes- I'm so sorry. I want to thank you guys for your patience. I still have a lot more to go, and fixing up chapter six is just about 10% completed… heh, I'm sorry.

--

Trouble 

**x Iced Insanity**

--

      "I didn't do it!" Miroku screamed, his hands dropping to cover his abused male genitalia. I sighed in relief, welcoming the freedom of my violated body parts. That hentai… I will make sure he will pay, and pay dearly he will.

      "Oh yeah?" I countered. "And if you didn't do it, then I'm the pope's wife."

      Miroku paused for a moment, considering this. It was either because he was stupid, or he was just trying to piss me off. Even though I'd really wish it was the earlier suggestion, I definitely know it was the latter one – I grew up with him, and trust me, I knew his ways.

      "Actually, the pope did take a vow of chastity…" He said thoughtfully. "So I doubt—"

      "STUDENTS!" Hissed the Principal, who had been standing there all that time, ignored. "My office, now."

      I sighed, and both Miroku and I followed Mr. Myouga into his office. He was a small, little old man; his size was one to have rivaled a flea's. White, bristly little whiskers grew out of his carrot-shaped nose, his balding head only containing a few random strands of white hair here and there.

      Myouga was a very respectable man, even if he was from the upper middle class. He was intelligent, but he was, in no way, a brave man. Often times he would leave his work to his secretary when he was threatened so much as to get a paper cut. 

      Oh yeah, and did I mention he was quite the little vampire? He had this thing for blood, some sort of craving, like some leech. But my mother and grandpa liked him enough, so I refrained from squashing the little man silly. 

      "Have a seat," Myouga advised us once we got into his tidy little room, which reeked of anti-bacterial chemicals and the slight smell of blood. I shuddered, but both Miroku and I obliged to his wishes. We wouldn't want him sucking our blood, oh no no. 

      "I am quite aware that you two have been bickering again," Myouga asked dryly, hopping onto his chair with great effort. As he did this, I fought back a loud, amused snort. "Please verify if my statement is true."

      "Yes, sir," Miroku answered for the both of us, while I merely leaned back in my seat, playing with my unruly hair. "She violated my balls, sir."

      "VIOLATED?!" I stood up in fury, my quick temper immediately rising. "Who was the one who groped my crotch and my ass, hmm? Mr. Myouga, sir, I was merely protecting myself from sexual harassment."

      "And you retaliated, my dear Higurashi-san," Myouga politely interrupted, causing me to give out an indignant snort. "This school does not encourage violence. I am afraid that you two will both receive a detention tomorrow – I will inform both your parents immediately."

      Oh, shit. And the "Why can't you be more like Kikyo?" comments will begin yet again. I let out a pitiful sigh, and Miroku sent me a sympathetic look. His arm hovered above my shoulder, as a source of comfort, but I merely batted it away. 

      "Any objections, please notify me," Myouga said. "Otherwise, the both of you are dismissed."

--

      "Kagome!" My mother hissed, the moment I reached home. I feigned indifference while she scolded, although, deep down, it was really killing me. I hated to see her so angry, so livid. Whenever she scolded me, I was reminded of what a disappointment I was. So what if I was a rebel child? I wasn't proud of it, not one bit. 

      "How many times did I tell you not to engage in any violence whatsoever?" Mom said, her voice raising a decibel with each word she said. "Kami-sama, Kagome, do you think you're some kind of a professional wrestling star?

      "I raised you to be a proper lady, and this is how you act? You'd think I was some kind of criminal, by the way you acted!" My mom sighed in frustration. "Why can't you be more like Kik—"

      "Mother." My sister politely interrupted, placing a calm hand on my shoulder. "That's enough. I think Kagome understands that what she has done was very wrong, don't you, Kagome?"

      "Yes I do," I forced my guiltiest tone of voice, bowing my head to show my semi-defeat. Thank God, I was saved again by Kikyo! Oh, my heroine! 

      "And besides, Mother," Kikyo said, smiling such a such a grin that made my mother waver. "I will speak to her myself. I think our little talk will do her just fine."

      "Well, if you say so, dear," My mother finally gave in, reluctantly. She sent me a look that blatantly warned me to behave. I widened my eyes innocently as she did so. She trusted Kikyo, but not me: the rebellious, disobedient, not-so-smart daughter that she had to have. In her eyes, I was pretty sure she believes that I'm just a mere disappointment. She wasn't the only one.

      Kikyo smiled at my mother's statement, and gently coaxed me into following her. Across the long, polished hallways of our mansion we walked, and through a long set of stairs we climbed through. We continued our leisure stroll, until Kikyo stopped in front of a large door – her bedroom door. 

      She turned the knob, letting me walk in first. Her bedroom was a large one – maybe just a tad bit bigger than mine, which was just across to hers. Kikyo gave me a small smile before heading to her vanity dresser, from which she retrieved an expensive, silver brush. I watched her curiously while she crossed the room to sit down at the four-poster bed. She looked at me expectantly, patting the spot next to her, a silent beckoning for me to sit.

      I obliged, and my dear sister smiled. She eased me so my back faced her, tugging my hair so she could brush my long, raven-black strands. I closed my eyes while she did so, knowing sooner or later we would have to talk. Even if Kikyo did save me from the reprimands given by my mother, she still was going to keep her word, belated or not.

      "So, what happened today, Kagome-chan?" My sister asked, in a soft voice, one that I barely heard. The way she brushed my hair made me so relaxed, so sleepy. I was half-asleep when she finally spoke to me.

      "Hmm?" I managed to inquire groggily. Kikyo patiently repeated her question, not pausing once in brushing my long, messy tangles. Her work was really cut out on her, since I hardly ever brushed my hair. I just set the gob of black mess in a messy ponytail, and there I go, ready for the day ahead. I was no fashion queen. I never cared what people thought or said about me. Let them think what they want, just as long as I had my way.

      "Oh. Well, after you passed by on break today, that Sesshomaru dude came into the courtyard thing, thinking I was you. And that got me really pissed off, ya know?" I blubbered out. "He left, eventually, and then Miroku came toddling about, offering to take my books."

      I paused for a breath, while Kikyo finished brushing through my hair. It was probably all shiny, tangle-free, and smooth, like hers. She suddenly began to braid through it, humming softly to some old tune I never heard of.

      "And then?" The request was soft-spoken, yet again, but I heard it.

      "And then," I said. "He fakes falling over, and reaches out to me for support, or, should I say, a good grope." 

     I snorted rudely at this, while Kikyo let out a small, amused laugh. She obviously found Miroku's perverted attempts interesting, even if it was directed towards her little sister. Sheesh, why couldn't I have a normal sister, one that would sock any of their kid-sister's suitors? And yet, I have this, who practically encouraged any unwanted touches. Maybe, under all that kind exterior, she was a pervert herself.

      "Miroku's so funny," She said, her shoulders shaking in her amusement. "He'd do anything to get a girl, even for the most outrageous reasons. My, and he even does it with dignity! Such an interesting person, he is… It looks like you have a little boyfriend on your hands, Kagome."

      "Hell no," I huffed, crossing my arms. "He does that to any female he finds even just a tad bit attractive, but he really likes Sango."

      "Sango is a very pretty girl," Kikyo said, tucking my finished braid across my shoulder. "She's also a very good friend to you, Kagome. I believe Miroku has chosen well."

      "Well, he's chosen, but he hasn't got the nuts—or, he's got too much nuts—to ask her out. Miroku's too busy flirting with the female population to risk going serious with someone." I said thoughtfully, raising a finger to my lips.

      "Oh, I see," Kikyo said quietly. "Well, anyway, back to an early comment of yours—Sesshomaru thought you were me?"

      "I believe I did say that," I said, flopping down on the bed, without grace. "What about Fluffy?" 

     "Well, he's a new transfer to the school," My sister explained. "He came here only a week ago, with his brother—he's in your grade too, his name is Inuyasha. I don't know if he's in your classes, it's either that, or he's been playing hooky for the past week. I've only seen him when I came over Sess's house for a project we've been doing. Sesshomaru and I, that is."

      "Mmm, and here I was, thinking there was some romantic interest going on between you two," I said bluntly, but Kikyo didn't answer. The light blush on her cheeks was explanation enough.

      "So," She said, aiming to change the subject. "How have your archery lessons been treating you?"

  
      "So-so," I stated boredly, gazing at my French-manicured fingernails. "Nothing special is going on, no competitions… Nothing, nada, zilch."

      "Oh," Kikyo said, opening her mouth to say something, but a maid in our doorway interrupted our little conversation.

      "Miss Kagome; Miss Kikyo," The woman said politely, curtseying to the both of us. "There is a guest waiting for Miss Kikyo in the east library."

      "Who is it?" My sister inquired.

      "I do not know, my lady, he comes from a land far away. He says he has 'business' to attend with either you, or Miss Kagome. I do think it is important; I suggest you come downstairs to pay heed to these matters."

      "Very well." Kikyo sighed, and stood up. Her brown eyes shifted slowly over towards me, and her lips curved into a form of an apologetic smile. "Do you wish to come along, Kagome?"

      I nodded in consent, and we started off towards the library. On our way out, the maid gave us a small curtsy, before heading off to the kitchens. Through the hallways west hallways we traveled, both of us silent. The silence was comforting, somehow, since the both of us had a bit of thoughts to entertain.

      Once we reached to our destination, the library seemed empty, except for a man seated in front of the fireplace. At first, the room seemed to be devoid of life, since the armchair he was sitting in was hiding him from our view.

      Seeing the both of us, the man stood up, bowing his head in a solemn nod. While he did so, I studied his features—worn, regretful, and tired. Nonetheless, his face looked that of a kind one. I deemed him trustworthy.

      "Ladies," He greeted solemnly, fear in his eyes. "There is something important I must speak to you of."

--

      I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe it. My eyes slid over to Kikyo's palm just as the man left. I stared, very skeptical. There, in her hand, lay the Shikon Jewel. In the Jewel, an ongoing battle of the warrior Midoriko and the demons commenced. And it was Kikyo's, to protect.

      Hooooly Shit. It wasn't everyday that some strange man appeared in your house, asking your elder sister to take care of something that was so… legendary. It was something that happened to one out of a million people.

      "You really think you can handle the responsibility?" I asked her. "I mean, sure, you're capable, Kikyo, but you have other normal responsibilities you have. You should just donate it to some museum or something, you know, to hell with that stupid rock. Just look at it, it's missing a shard!"

      Kikyo was silent for a while, a finger tracing across the smooth edges of the stone. It wasn't what you called beautiful, like a diamond, or really horrible looking, like, um, I don't know… Those rocks that come out of dog poop, maybe. The Shikon no Tama was just a regular, plan old thing, but if one took a closer look, there was a mist, swirling endlessly inside of it, as if it were some of those stones from fantasy novels.

      "I know that," My sister said eventually. "But it is an honor, Kagome, a once in a lifetime opportunity. And besides, if I did refuse, I would only be living my life with regret; to think, I would have been so cowardly as to refuse something I could have handled? They chose me to do this because I am capable; they would not give this to me if they thought the opposite."

      "Hmph," I snorted, crossing my arms. "If you say so, just don't blame me if you start regretting your action. Anyway, I better get going, archery lessons start in an hour."

      "Believe me, I won't," Kikyo said, laughing softly at my straightforward statements. Her brown eyes watched my departing figure with mild amusement as I left the room, a hand raised to wave goodbye. "Have fun, Kagome."

      I grinned in response, slipping out the library door. With one last look at my sister, I stiffened, having an odd sensation overcome my body. I didn't know what it was at that moment, but it was a premonition… An intuition telling me, that whatever costs, Kikyo would have died for that irreverent rock.

      Suddenly I felt like laughing. How odd of me to think that way! Jeez, I know I was paranoid, but not that paranoid. Shaking my head, I shut the door, reminding myself again and again to take a chill pill.

--

**Author's Note: **Well, what did you think? Mysterious, haunting, corny, or just downright stupid? I thought the chappie was a bit boring, but well, I needed it as a beginning to something more… complicated. *cue evil laughter* Mwahahaha!

But anyway, Inuyasha is in the next chapter, I've got it already written and ready for proofreading! He only makes a small appearance, though, but I think the chap is good… 

Tee hee. I love Miroku, he's so… perverted, and yet evil at the same time. *supports Miroku/Sango* 

Eh heh…! Until next time, mon amies! 


	3. Amber Eyes and Dog Ears

**Disclaimer: **Must I say this again? -_-

**Author's Note: **Um, sorry for the last few paragraphs being annoying. I don't think I should explain it here, since it's part of the plot. You guys may email me, however, at _icycoldbaby1012@hotmail.com_, or AIM me at x Iced Insanity. 

Yes, I have an obsession with ice. ^.~; I'm an ice skater, currently retired because my coach went off to college. 

Anyway, for the reviews, I must thank you for your advice and your support; here I was, thinking my fic was gonna be a complete failure. Even with these reviews, I'm furking happy, and I do consider it a success in progress.

Oh yes, and by the title I can assure you that this is, indeed, the introduction for Inuyasha's character. Before I published this, I finished up the chapter after this, and I think it's safe to say that Inuyasha is going to be probably one of the main characters, after Kagome. Happy? I really do hope so.

I also want to apologize for you guys reading this crap I've been writing; I don't know… I think I've lost my touch. I read the other stories I wrote before this, and I glance at this one and go… Blech. x.o; But not to worry! I'm trying to improve, that I am!

*drumroll* And on with the story we go! 

--

**Amber Eyes and Dog Ears**

**x Iced Insanity**

**--**

      "Oi, Kagome!" A girl yelled out to me as I approached the school the next day. My wary eyes scanned the crowd, glancing if Yuka or Eri were about. Those nosy girls really did make me suspicious, I tell you; I love them like sisters, but they really do tend to get annoying once in awhile.

      "Kagome!" The girl said, finally reaching into my view. She was of average height and athletic build. Dark, dark brown hair cascaded down her form to her mid-back, while a pair of brown eyes, brought out by pink eyeliner around her lids, stared at me with an entertained look.

      "Hello, Sango," I greeted cheerfully. My friend smiled, hooking her arm around mine as she began to lead me towards my locker.

      "Kohaku won a trophy from his little league competition yesterday," She informed me, her eyes glistening affectionately at the mention of her little brother. 

      "You mean, his team?" I joked, playfully nudging Sango in the ribs. "Souta was telling me about it yesterday – except I wasn't as ecstatic as you. My brother is such a dweeb."

      "Hmm, but you must love your brother very much," Sango said in reply, smiling even wider. "It would be impossible not to – he seems to love both you and Kikyo, equally."

      "Whatever," I said. "So, was Miroku at the baseball game with you yesterday afternoon? I could have sworn Souta telling me about a certain little couple, curled up, and snuggled close on the blea—"

      "Shh!" Sango exclaimed, extremely pink in the cheeks, her brown eyes wide. "…I mean… I don't know what you're talking about."

      "Suuuuure," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. By that time, we were nearing my locker, located in a perfect spot, by a school balcony. It was a peaceful, isolated place, where there was a good view, and, at the same time, convenient, because it was near homeroom, and in the middle of all my classes. While some students had to walk far to class, I, on the other hand, neither arrived early, nor late. Just the way I liked it.

      "Oh, Kagome," Sango said, all the sudden. "I forgot to ask you: isn't today your detention day?"

      Oh, fuck, I totally forgot about it! I let out a fluent stream of unladylike curses as I stopped on my short walk to homeroom. Dropping my books on the floor, I searched through my notebooks for a spare sheet of paper. I'd have to give a house servant a ring to deliver a notice to Souta, since I won't be walking him home today, and another notice to my archery building, saying that I'd probably be a few minutes late…

      Damn that Myouga. Damn him to hell.

--

 "So, Kagome," Kagura said, filing a nail as Sango, Miroku, and I sat down at her table for lunch. Reluctantly tearing my eyes from a cheeseburger, I lifted my gaze to look up at her. Kagura smiled breezily at me, brushing her long, dark bangs away from her face.

      "How was your day?" She asked politely.

      "Eh, it was really stupid; I just remembered that I had a detention today, so I had to ring the servants a call before I went to homeroom. Eesh, and I had to use the payphone! Do you know how much gob of germs it has?" I complained. "Plus, after that, we had a geometry quiz – the first period of the day, too! I'm pretty sure I failed."

      "It's life," Kagura said casually, her red eyes drifting to see my sister busy in study, and then to see Miroku steal a grope with Sango. The abused girl, enraged, purposely spilled her soup on top of Miroku's head, after letting out a throng of death threats. 

      Kikyo didn't appear to notice, while Kagura and I exchanged a weary look, as if Miroku and Sango's miniscule bickering happened on a daily basis – which it did. The ends of Kagura's lips twitched upwards to form a small smile, shrugging the event off.

      "Well. Anyway," She said, examining her nails, trying to speak over Sango's loud screams. "My brother is coming home from college for break today."

      "That's great," I said in a monotone. "But it's strange, though, it's the middle of freaking March – there's nothing to get a holiday for!"

      "Maybe Naraku wished to simply visit the family?" Kagura shrugged. "Even though I, personally, never liked him, Kanna did. Whatever the reason, he seemed pretty urgent about it."

      "Ugh… A whole week with that demon!" She exclaimed, dramatically draping the back of her hand against her forehead.

      "Are you not a demon yourself, too, Kagura?" Sango inquired curiously, while the red-eyed girl merely let out an outraged puff of breath.

      "Of course not," Kikyo's best friend said indignantly. Kagura's facial features appeared offended, even shocked. "I'm a wind sorceress, not like my demon brother!"

      "Half, though, isn't he?" I asked curiously.

      "Yes, but he seems like a whole one," She explained. "He's not the type to trust. I bet you he didn't come here for Kanna – but for a more entirely selfish reason. Something that I don't know of."

      "Freakish," I said, disinterested. "Naraku's a weird butt; he's probably coming here because he finds the salt better here, than in college."

      "Is the salt better in college?" Miroku asked. He, apparently, had been eavesdropping. "I really can't taste the difference between them… Now, I could tell the difference between college women and high school women. College women are better in be—"

      His statement was not finished, and both Kagura and I watch his sorry, unconscious form drop to the floor, as a satisfied Sango walked off. I slid my eyes to Kikyo, who, after all this time, decided to return to the real world.

      "Kagome was speaking sarcastically, baka!" Sango said, exasperated, as she looked over her shoulder. It wasn't like that statement was going to be paid heed by Miroku, since he, apparently, lay unconscious on the ground. With another huff of impatience, my dear friend departed from the group.

      "Poor dear," My sister said, affection in her voice. "He'd probably get a concussion from that one, or at least some brain damage. Either that, or he has a really thick skull."

--

   Miroku and I trekked the long walk to the detention hall. There was a large, painful bump on his head, due to Sango's violent act earlier, but Miroku pretended that it didn't affect him. No, not at all, since Miroku was the ever calm, cool, and collected type. 

      I sighed, tucking my books neatly in my arms. They were not such a heavy bundle, weighing roughly three pounds. Nevertheless, I still wished I could have dropped the little darlings in my locker; they were starting to irritate me. 

      "I've never been into a detention before," I said honestly, while Miroku sent me a strange look. "I know you know that, after all these years, but Mr. Myouga is the first one to ever assign a detention for me. I mean, my mom basically owns the school!"

      "You mean, your uncle," Said Miroku dryly. "It's probably because—"

      I looked up at him expectantly, only to see him ogling a girl with enormous cleavage. I rolled my eyes, letting out another rude snort. Miroku, being his usual self, ignored the snort, heading over to the girl, leaving me all alone… By myself… Ignored… Feeling lost…

      Deciding I've had enough time waiting, I let out a hiss, toddling over to Miroku, who was now blatantly flirting with Miss I-Have-Floating-Devices-As-Breasts. 

      "Where have you been all my life?" I heard Miroku say. "I daresay, Miss, you contain a beauty that surpasses any other. Hair so golden, gleaming brighter than the sun itself, eyes so beautiful, so bright, and so deep, like an ocean!"

      "I know," The girl said. "My name is Amy – I'm an American transfer."

      "Amy?" Miroku said, touching his hand to his heart. "Such a beautiful name! Extravagant! Such a name suits—"

      It was then that I announced my grand entry with a very rude cough, inching closer to Miroku, hooking an arm through his. I deliberately glared daggers to the 'Amy' girl across from him, patting Miroku's hand with a gentle, yet deadly touch.

      "Oh, Mieko!" I said gleefully, urging my face into an affectionate, playful expression. "I'm so glad I've found you! You know, after all your changing-gender operations, you will always be my little girly-girly Mieko to me, not some manly man named… What is it, Miroku?"

      I saw the look of horror at Miss Amy's face, and, glancing up at Miroku, I noted gleefully that the look on his face was perfectly mirrored. Another point goes to me, zero to Miroku! If Amy were not present, I would have started to cackle insanely. 

      "Oh!" I pretended to take my first glance at Amy, feigning an air of surprise. "I did not notice you here, Hun! Forgive me for my manners! This is my friend Mieko, formerly a lesbian, but now an artificial man without sperm! Oh, and my name—"

      "Eh heh, look at the time!" The poor girl exclaimed, inching away. "Funny I have to leave so early, but I have, er, business to do! Yes, that's it! Bye!"

      I watched gleefully as the girl ran away, shifting my gaze upwards to deliver Miroku an evil, gloating look. He merely looked down at me, annoyed and yet crushed.

      "What'd you have to do that for?" He whined pathetically. "I didn't grope you yet!"

      "No, but let's just say I was protecting you from Sango, hmm?" I said sweetly, batting my eyelashes to prove my point. "You see, if she had known if you had been flirting behind your back, she would have killed you on the spot."

      "True," Miroku said, thinking aloud. "Does that mean she digs me?"

      "You're asking me?" I formed my features into one of surprise. Of course Sango liked him in that way, but I'd be damned if I ever told him. "You'd think I, Kagome, out of all these people, would know that she digs you?"

      "Hey," My friend shrugged his shoulders. "You've got some experience. What about Houjo and Kouga?"

      I pursed my lips, unhooking my arm as I started heading towards the detention hall. I hated it when people asked me about those two; I mean, I like them enough, but I don't know… There's something about them that doesn't make me want to be anything more than friends with them. Something just doesn't click.

      I heard the heels of my shoes click against the polished floors of the school, listening to the silent echoes of my own steps. Miroku walked along behind me, eyes closed in silent thought. I grinned, picturing him crashing into a random object, like, a door. The image composed in my mind is so amusing, so hilarious, that it took most of my strength and willpower to keep from laughing like a fool, right there, on the spot. 

      I managed to hold back from the laughter, biting my lower lip. By each passing moment, I bit tighter and tighter, almost to the point of drawing blood. But it doesn't help, and a strangled noise erupted from my throat.

      Miroku glanced at me weirdly, an eyebrow raised in question. Embarrassed, I gave him a small, innocent smile, shrugging my shoulders. My lips were red, then, giving the illusion of perfectly spread lipstick – a rare appearance for me. I never wore makeup willingly, with the few exceptions of special occasions. And, on those particular days, I only get to be classified as "pretty as Kikyo". 

     I let out a tired puff of breath. The Detention hall was only a corner away, and from here Miroku and I could already hear voices. Shrieks, giggles, and playful shouts ricocheted from the walls, telling us, at the moment, Myouga was letting the students to play and have a little roughhousing for the time being. I wondered vaguely the reason for that – maybe because Miroku and I were late.

      "Ready?" I asked the boy next to me, who nodded in consent. 

      The room was filled with approximately ten people, one, who I recognized, was a particular admirer of mine, Kouga. He gave me a cocky, flirtatious grin, while I replied with a small, polite wave. I was going to come over for a little chat when I felt a strange awareness shiver down my spine. I craned my head to see where that feeling came from…

      And it was then, when amber eyes met mine. 

      Have you ever had an experience, that when you come into contact with something, something ordinary, something that could happen in everyday life, you've had this… feeling that it would change your life forever? Or at least had a huge impact in it? 

      Well… It happened to me. Right then, right there.

      The gaze continued, going on… one, two, three. I seemed to be in somewhat of a trance, lost in the depths of those amber optics. Time seemed to stop; I vaguely heard the distant calls of Miroku trying to bring me back into reality.

      But I couldn't stop staring. Something in those eyes made me feel at peace, like I actually belonged. I had this feeling, that this person, whoever they were, would see me as Kagome, and not just Kikyo's little shadow. I felt—

      "Hello? Anyone in there?" Miroku called, waving a hand in front of my face. 

      My eyes regained their focus, and immediately time began again. I heard the clock ticking faintly, unheeded by the rest of the world, excluding myself. The time was something so precious, treasured, and hated by some. For me, it was both a gift and a punishment.

      "Oh, sorry Miroku…" I apologized sincerely, lifting my glance up to him. I gave him a small, rueful smile, a faint pink on my cheeks. Goodness, what a fool I've made out of myself! Just a few moments ago, I had been staring, just blatantly staring, for the whole classroom to see. Not to mention seeming rude, it also made me look shallow – something I was definitely not.

      Miroku led me to a seat at the other end of the classroom, far, far away from the amber-eyed person that I happened to be in a staring match with. This was very good, because I wouldn't be making a fool of myself again… at least, not yet, not for the next few moments. Hehe… 

      "Students," Myouga finally called us into attention, standing on tiptoe – which, by the way, didn't help much. Tiptoe or not, he was still implausibly short. I politely placed my hand on top of my smiling mouth, as not to hurt his feelings. 

      "Wonderful of you all to make it," He drawled, peering up at us through his circular spectacles. "For the next two hours, you will pair up in twos—"

      I glanced towards Miroku, who was looking another way – towards a pretty girl. I sighed, placing my head on the desk. Typical Miroku… Oh, well. I suppose Kouga will have to do.

      "—And your partner will be one I assign. You will do cleaning jobs for today, and your jobs will also be assigned by me," Myouga added, resulting in a sigh from me. I slumped, pitifully, in my chair, waiting for my name to be assigned. Myouga rattled on and on, as students started getting up two by two, exiting the room in an annoyed slouch. I sat in my place, noticing that I was the only one left – besides a certain amber-eyed individual. 

      "Higurashi," Myouga called, and my head immediately shot up from the small nap I took, and the little man beamed proudly at me. "You will be paired up with my nephew, Inuyasha." 

      My gaze traveled over to this 'Inuyasha', and I took him in, amber eyes and all. He was a strange, yet handsome individual, owning a head full of gleaming silver her – which, I noted with disgust, had no split ends. And what was most curious… was that he owned a pair of dog ears.

      The character mentioned smirked, apparently noticing my obvious stare. Noticing this, I blushed, embarrassed, and turned away. Caught in the act… again. 

--

**Author's Note: **Okay, so what do you think? Long chapter; the longest I've ever done so far, but okay! ^_^; Review, review, review! *throws roses and bows*

…I think I've made Inuyasha appear to be some sort of stalker. x.o; 


	4. The Life of a Janitor

**Disclaimer: **Nope, I don't own it. Never will – except in my dreams.

**Author's Notes: **Nothing much going on here, I just wanted to apologize for the long wait. I was a bit busy, school plays, here and there… I just hope you didn't lose all your patience. 

But um, I glad you guys didn't pelt me with tomatoes yet. ^.~;

Oh yes, I've currently taken up the obsession over Evangelion, and the pairing of Shinji/Asuka. It's a depressing anime, I know, but I love it. It's like my craving for coffee. It's bad, but it keeps you awake in the mornings, ya know? 

Well, okay, here's the story.

**--**

**  
****The Life of a Janitor**

 x Iced Insanity

--

      "You two will be washing the blackboards of every classroom on the west wing. If you don't finish your task before five o' clock, it will only result in an extra detention. Understand?" Myouga said, acting superior over the two of us for once. I had the urge to squash him like a bug… But no, my mother would be outraged, and therefore ground me for the rest of eternity. It is something to look forward to, ne?

      "Yeah, whatever," Inuyasha said, next to me. I merely shrugged, heading outside. I left Inuyasha back at the room, expecting him to follow.

      I was in a bad mood. Me? Clean blackboards? I, Kagome Higurashi, daughter of a multi-millionaire woman? I don't think so. I had servants to do this sort of shitty thing, but apparently I couldn't call on them to do my work now. 

      The janitors better be happy now, look at me, sacrificing my own good life and time to do their work. This is two freaking hours of my freaking teenage life, the certain part of my life where I stay and form my future! And what am I doing now? I am heading to the Janitors' closet to collect a bucket of rags and cleaning detergent, that's what.

      "Oi! Kikyo!" I heard Inuyasha call, knowing that he meant me. My temper flared; I was seriously getting offended. First, his brother calls me by my sister's name, and now him? What, did I wear those introductory stickers that said, "Hello, My name is Kikyo"?

      I checked my clothing apparel. Nope… Nothing on me that said Kikyo.

      I rudely continued on walking, my gaze directed straight towards the Janitor's closet. The little bastard continued on following me, and calling me "Kikyo", which made me wonder how low his IQ was. 

      I heard his soft footsteps, and with each beat he gained more ground, getting faster and faster. I could tell he was pretty pissed; I wouldn't blame him, since he was actually ignored – he appeared to be a guy with a huge, but fragile ego, and I practically beat it to a pulp. Not that I'm cruel or anything… but because his ego was fragile. Mmm hmm. 

      Suddenly I felt his warm breath on the back of my neck, and before I could whirl around and tell the freak to get the hell away from me, he pinned me against the wall, his hand gripping the both of mine in a vice-like grip. I stared up at him with wide, astonished eyes, while his amber ones searched probingly at my face. His gaze stopped at my eyes, studying them, confused. That's probably the big difference between Kikyo and I – while she has her brown eyes, I have my… blue-and-brown hybrid ones. I don't know what you color you would call it; it's probably those co-dominant genes someone learns from Biology class. 

      He appeared lost, gazing at my face in somewhat of a daze. I glare at him anyway, giving no sympathy, because… well, hey! Look at me, with my hands pinned up behind my head, pressed up against the wall, with some creepy guy with dog ears just staring at me. I may be paranoid, but this is something that I would call an almost-rape.

      "Why did you ignore me earlier?" He said, finally at last. He said this reluctantly, as if he weren't too sure of himself.

      I smirked. Most people would consider him stupid, for his actions earlier, but for me, I just added him to my 'pure genius' list, for he was one of the few people who actually noticed one of mine and Kikyo's physical differences. We get confused with each other so much, and often we do get the saying… "You two girls look exactly alike!" At this statement, Kikyo would offer an offended, but polite smile, while I would merely roll my eyes and let out a snort.

      It wasn't that I was some super-mega bitch or anything… I was – still am pissed about not being my own person. 

      I felt Inuyasha's grip tighten around my wrists, and I suddenly realized that – again, I had drifted off into La la land. I look up and start to give him an apologetic smile, and suddenly I think against it, realizing who I was smiling towards. I gave him a disgusted face, and struggled in his hold, which only became tighter as I did so.

      "Answer me!" He commanded, while I, glaring up at him, forced myself to not spit at his face. But how tempting it was… Oh, how tempting it was to do so…

      "Because you did not call out my name," I remarked instead, fighting my temper down to look up at him placidly. He appeared confused again, to my delight, gazing down at me with bewildered eyes.

      "What?" He said, an eyebrow raised.

      "What are you doing with my girl?!" Said a voice behind us, causing Inuyasha to jump and release me from his grip. I rubbed my wrists, gone white from my captor's tight hold. After sending a glare to the character mentioned, I turned my gaze to Kouga, smiling at him gratefully.

      He had been carrying large packages from classroom to classroom, a task Myouga was probably too lazy to do, or just too suspicious of breaking his back to even bother to do. A box, probably weighing a ton because of a shitload of textbooks was in his arms. He appeared not to notice it, however…

      "Will you stop talking about me as if I were an object?" I snorted, placing my hands on my hips.

      "Do you know him, Kagome?" Kouga asked me, sizing Inuyasha up, probably considering whether to make an enemy or not. 

      "Um." I blinked stupidly. "Kikyo knows him…"

      "And is this supposed to be good or bad news?" He asked, warily casting a concerned gaze over at me. I leaned against the wall, feeling like an overprotected child. This could be classified as sexism right here. I mean, hello! I can fend for myself against incorrigible jerks, thank you very much.

      "Depends—" I started to say, until Inuyasha cut both of us off.

      "Alright, alright! Will you two just shut up?!" He said. His arms were crossed in an arrogant manner. "I'm here, you know, and I can hear both of you – it's as if you were talking behind my back!"

      "So?" Kouga asked coolly.

      "Oh Kouga!" A feminine voice called from the hallway, and looking up, I noticed a redhead girl stand by a classroom door. She appeared to be relaxed, as if all she had been doing was sitting and ordering poor Kouga about. I looked at her and smiled, raising a hand to wave at her.

      "Hey Ayame!" I greeted, while Kouga let out a loud groan. "Kouga is on his way – he's taking a breather, you know? Since he's too weak to—"

      "I'm coming!" He suddenly hissed. Both him and I knew very well that he was a real butt-kicker, but when his dignity was at stake, especially with Ayame, Kouga would deny, deny, and deny. He cast a goodbye glance my way and started walking off, only stopping once to glance at Inuyasha.

      "If I ever see you touch my girl ever again…" He hissed. "You'll be going through hell."

      Inuyasha ignored this, his gaze directed towards Ayame, a skeptical eyebrow raised. "Who was she?"

      "His girlfriend," I replied, smiling innocently up at him.

--

      While the both of us cleaned the blackboards, I couldn't help but feel Inuyasha's gaze on me. I fidgeted uncomfortably, trying my best to ignore it. Opting to start a conversation, I switched my gaze to him, smiling softly, in a manner only Kikyo and I could have done.

      "My sister talked about you, you know," I told him silently, while he busied himself at a blackboard next to the one I was cleaning. His amber eyed gaze flicked towards mine, nodding silently. 

      "From what I heard from her, you were quite a guy…" I said, squeezing the moist rag in my hands. Inuyasha's ears perked up a bit, betraying his I-could-care-less façade. Inwardly, I smiled in victory, for once capturing his attention.

      "She said you were sweet, caring, and concerned…" I continued, and during this, his gaze met mine – head on, unflinching. "…But from what I see, you're just a dork. Shy, and quiet, ya know?"

      "Feh," He crossed his arms arrogantly. "Just because I'm quiet doesn't mean that I'm shy. Ever heard of the saying… 'I'm only quiet because I don't like you'?"

      "Oh yeah," I pretended to look dumbstruck for a moment. "But it's only a cheerleader-like saying, so I don't bother around with those. They're only a waste of my breath. I have better things to do than just sit there, polishing my nails and waving pom-poms."

      "Really." He said. "You could have surprised me there."

      I didn't bother to reply, and again we stood in silence, cleaning the boards. Kouga and Miroku popped in every once and awhile, to check in on me, their little Kagome. Inuyasha stood quietly with glaring eyes during the entire time – and I must say, I sort of felt bad for him. Being the new guy was probably not easy; I experienced being the new kid once or twice, but I had it easy because of Kikyo. Everybody knew me and accepted me because they loved my sister, so therefore bullying Kikyo's little sister was out of the question. And besides, doing anything that Kikyo would disapprove of would have been the deadliest sin they could have performed.

      Kikyo was my shield, and at the same time the weapon of the enemy. 

      It's hard trying to step out of your elder sister's shadow.

      "Do you have any friends here, Inuyasha?" I suddenly asked, surprising the both of us. He looked at me, and that intense gaze began, making me suddenly feel like a form of jell-o. 

      "What's it to you?" He said arrogantly, throwing his rag in his bucket. His eyes narrowed, arms crossing against his chest. I could tell I possibly hit a nerve, but I didn't fall back, I stood tall – er, as tall as I could get, that is.

      "Nothing, I was just wondering," I shrugged, dropping my own rag into my bucket. I was finished with this classroom, and only just _one_ more to go, before I went to archery lessons. Idly, I glanced at the clock in the room, peering at the time: 4:31. 

      "But you know…" I ventured into the earlier subject again, peering at Inuyasha from under my lashes. "My table is always free for you to sit at during lunch. I'm pretty sure my friends won't mind."

      Oh, jee, Kagome, a point goes to you for being so damn blunt. I probably freaked the guy out – which wasn't such a surprise, I did it all the time, but there was something about him that didn't want him to run away. I just had these freakish intuitions, which could have been considered a gift, or a curse. It was like reading the end of a book before you ever knew what it was all about… In a way, it helped you, but it also spoiled your fun.

      "Keh," I heard him say, and I smiled. 

--

      So her name was Kagome. I repeated the name over and over in my mind, watching her as she cleaned the blackboards. As she did so, she hummed a small little tune, as if she were in her own little world. She was strange… just so strange. So peaceful, so carefree, as if the world were just a happy place.

      Maybe it was. Maybe she grew up in a sheltered life, not the one I had known. The world, in my perspective, was cold and cruel, without any close ally there by your side to protect you. It wasn't easy to see my parents slaughtered at the age of six. And, for these ten years, it's only been my brother Sesshomaru and me. Only this year, we found out that we did have an uncle – Myouga, a man who ran a very wealthy school under the multi-millionaire woman Higurashi. So we moved in with my uncle and my little cousin, Rin. 

      And then came the time when I met Kikyo. She showed us around our new school, stopping at this particular site or that, while I could only watch her, entranced. She showered me with smiles, but with Sesshomaru, she only showered him with more. I became jealous, and that moment I vowed to myself that she would be _mine_.

      So when she came into detention today I thought I was in luck. My eyes followed her every single move as she walked in, and probably through this electro-magnetic thing she saw me. And we just stared at each other; one, two, three, and the gaze continued. I wished it could have continued forever, but apparently her thoughts were not the same. 

      Our gaze ended when she turned to the guy next to her, and the look in her eyes changed. I don't know what it was… love, affection, friendship? I yearned to have that gaze directed on me. And when she smiled at the guy, I yearned to have her smile at me. Only me.

      When Uncle Myouga paired me up with her, I thought my day could get no better. I looked at her, and she looked at me; I felt something click. It was then that I knew she would be mine.

      She walked out to the hallway, and I called out to her, but she did not respond. Baffled, I continued on following her, quickening my pace to catch up. She was a quick little buggar, that she was. I kept on calling out her name, but she did not reply. Was it something I have done? Or said?

      So, desperate, I pinned her against the wall, and she stared at me with large eyes, and I stared at her back. There was something different about her eyes, though… At my first day of school, I noticed that she had these half lidded brown eyes, polite, but bored, like my brother. However, with her pinned up against the wall, I noticed that her eyes weren't as brown as I thought, or even half lidded.

      They were wide, and staring. Yeah, they were brown, but so dark that I couldn't see the pupil. And it was a certain shade of brown that made me want to continue staring at her eyes… It was speckled with blue. The blue speckles, seemingly blended in with that brown, didn't stand out – one could only get a good look at them if you just… stared. I was entranced, in a daze.

      When I asked her why she had ignored me earlier, she only glared at me. I felt my temper rise, and I'm pretty sure her own did too, because the look she gave me was deadly. It puzzled me. Kikyo didn't seem like the type to openly glare. Maybe… there was a certain side to her that I didn't notice yet.

      I told her to answer me, a little bit too roughly. Almost immediately I felt ashamed, expecting a blow to the head, like my brother would have done. But she only looked at me calmly, and in a soft, but firm voice, she had said that she didn't call out her name. Right then, I took her as some mental invalid, for I had been calling her name incessantly, like some crazed lover who hadn't seen his beloved for all eternity.

      I was going to ask her to repeat what she said, before we both got interrupted. Startled, I let go of her hands, and turned to the speaker. He seemed like a possessive fellow, glaring at me before his gaze slid over to Kikyo. There was something about his eyes that made me know that he wasn't just her friend, but more of a boyfriend. But the look Kikyo gave him was one of mere friendship… just as if he were a simple acquaintance. 

      I felt a low rumbling in my throat; I was going to growl… again. But something stopped me. The boy called her 'Kagome', and not Kikyo. I stared at her, startled, expecting her to retaliate and correct him. But she didn't.

      Kagome is Kikyo's little sister.

      I felt betrayed… somehow. Let down, like I've been on a long journey for many years, searching for something valuable, but once I got into reach for that valuable item, it was only torn away from me. 

      When Kouga left, leaving Kagome and I alone, she simply turned to me and sent me a soft smile. She led me through the corridors, starting with an empty, desolate classroom. With a cautious glance at her, I started my work, immersed in my thoughts. My thoughts were muddled, cloudy.  

      Kagome was different from Kikyo; so blunt, so… childish. I was a fool for not noticing the difference earlier. Though she probably may not have noticed, I snuck looks at her as she worked, studying her features, contrasting the two sisters from each other. Kikyo seemed always at peace, haunted, even. She knew the world, and all its hardships. Kikyo had a wisdom that an eighty-year-old would possess. Kagome, however, was like a hyperactive puppy, peering around the world with new eyes.

      Kikyo was a person's friend from the start. With Kagome, she asked someone to be her friend, even though that someone already knew the answer. Which was a yes.

--

**Author's Notes: **So how did you like it? Somehow I'm tempted to just throw my plot out the window and leave the story at that; just let you guys guessing. But I won't, I'll strive on and on. Just be patient for me, people, because writing again is getting harder than it used to be. =/

Thanks, and please review?

Onto searching for Evangelion fics! *giggles and skips away*


	5. Archery Lessons

**Disclaimer: **Nope. Don't bother to check again, I never will own that hunk of hanyou flesh. ;_;

**Author's Note: **Another chapter finally up! Sorry for the long wait, I had a bit of writers' block. Of course I totally made up for it, this is probably the longest ever chapter I've written so far.

Anyways, after this is uploaded, I'm changing one of the genres to fantasy… You'll see why latur. Anyways, get reading, and I hope you enjoy! 

P.S – Don't forget to review afterwards. o.o 

--

Archery Lessons 

x Iced Insanity

--

Inuyasha and I finished our task before five-o-clock, much to my appreciation. Afterwards we finished cleaning, the both of us dropped our buckets at the Janitor's closet, and then we set off to Myouga's office. Along the way we encountered Miroku, who only waved at me as he passed by. He had to go somewhere with Sango or something, since he didn't even stop to give me a goodbye grope, which he usually did.

      As Miroku passed off, I noticed Inuyasha give him the evil eye, while I merely chuckled. Man, that guy seemed like the jealous and possessive type. I made a mental note not to try and get on his bad side.

      After speaking to Myouga, Inuyasha and I stood out the Principal's doorway, him shuffling around with his feet, and me, trying to think up of a creative goodbye. But as I stood there, looking up at him, I felt so sorry for him. He probably ached to do something besides sitting at home and doing nothing, but without a group of friends, he probably didn't have anybody to do anything with. I frowned, debating on whether to invite him to the archery building or not.

      "Listen," I said reluctantly. "If you're doing nothing straight after this, do you want to come with me to archery classes? There's probably nothing there to do, unless if you consider pointing at laughing at me making a fool out of myself a hobby… Miroku had to go to Sango's little brother's little league game – he probably missed the first hour of it, but he keeps his promises, so... And, anyway, my brother's in the game, so he's gonna tell me the score since I'm, well, busy."

      "Feh," Inuyasha snorted. "If you're gonna kill yourself about it, then fine. I don't want a death on _my_ hands."

      Ah. Men and their pride.

       "Okay then," I smiled up at him, noting the obvious relief on his face. "I'll have to head my locker and get my clothes first, because I can't do anything in this uniform. Oh, and don't worry, I'm a quick changer: all I have to do is put on shorts and I already have my tank top under my uniform."

       "Wonderful tidbit of information," He said dryly. "Just go get changed already."

--

      When the two of us headed outside, I noticed with delight that the sun was still up. So, with high spirits, I lead Inuyasha to the bike rack. Once we got there, I peered at the lock, fishing around in my purse for my keys. I felt Inuyasha give me a queer look as I did so, but he didn't say anything.

      I sighed. "I prefer bike riding than the limo, so it's not that I'm poor or anything, I just don't like the limo. It's not my style to go show off to people that I have a pretty long black car."

      He merely shrugged, rolling his eyes at that statement. I watched him quietly, wondering if he probably thought me boring or something. He was probably thinking about my sister at that moment; whenever a guy was with me – with the exceptions of my faithful Houjo and Kouga  – all they ever thought about was Kikyo. 

      Fitting the key into the lock, I loosened up my bike as I glanced up at Inuyasha innocently. Did he have a ride, or did he mind walking alongside me as I biked?

      "Inuyasha?" I queried, and his amber-eyed gaze shifted over to mine. I smiled at him hesitatingly, while his gaze remained impassive. Eh heh… 

      "What is it, wench?" He asked, using the term 'bitch' as if it were my name. At this, I stared at him blankly, wondering if I offended him. His facial appearance, however, was impassive, so I couldn't tell anything from it. Obviously. 

      "I have a name, you know," I said rudely, arms crossed in an arrogant manner. "It's Kagome, so be a good little boy and use it."

      "_Little_?" He raised a brow, standing next to me. He looked down, smugly, at my petite figure, and immediately I wanted to punch his brains out. I mean, I know I'm small, but just don't rub it in! It's bad enough already that I have to wear high heels to feel like a person of my peers. 

      "Shut up," I hissed, shoving him playfully as I mounted on my bike. I placed my feet on the pedals, cycling slowly, to let Inuyasha keep up. Surprisingly, he could, with ease. In fact, he seemed bored with the speed I went. I looked over at him, my eyes studying his doglike ears. Maybe…

       "Inuyasha, are you a demon?" I asked timidly, watching his facial expression display a show of emotions: disappointment, hope, and a certain sadness – the kind where you know that it's hopeless to fit in. I turned away, ashamed, as a long silence followed.

      "I'm a hanyou," He said at last, crossing his arms. 

      "There's nothing wrong with that!" I assured him. "I know a bunch of half-demons, and hey, they're not so bad. I mean, sure, people say they're weaker than the full demons, but it's just talk, ya know? Whatever race, ethnicity, or type someone is, it still makes him or her a living, breathing being, and we gotta respect that. If some of us don't, then, to hell with them."

      He peered at me out of the corner of his eye, sending me a strange look, and I realized I was rambling again. Eh heh… I tended to do that a lot, especially when I was nervous.  

      "How do you know about demons, anyway?" He asked me.

      "Me? Oh, I'm a miko. Both Kikyo and I are, but she's better at it than I am," I shrugged. "No surprise there, but yeah, we've grown up knowing about demons – like, what they're capable of. Kouga's a demon, a wolf one. So is Ayame, I think…"

      I was interrupted, for a pretty red Ferrari pulled up to where Inuyasha and I were headed. Looking over at the car, I noticed it was Kagura's. The character mentioned leaned against the driver's leather coated seat, peering at us with her usual smug gaze. Kikyo, sitting next to her, offered both of us a smile – which I was pretty sure Inuyasha melted under. 

      I sighed, grinning back at my elder sister. I guess, against my sister, I could never win. Not that I minded losing Inuyasha to her, because he was a dork in my eyes, anyway. 

     "Hello, Kagome," My sister greeted, leaning against the car door. Her dark bangs shielded her eyes as she looked upon us; the look she had worn was one out of amusement. Her gaze traveled over to my companion, and to him she also sent a friendly smile. "Hello, Inuyasha, are you accompanying my sister to the archery building?"

      "Uh…" Inuyasha appeared to be dumbstruck. I rolled my eyes at this, stepping hard on his foot with my shoes. "Oh, yeah, I am. Are you going yerself?" 

      "No," Kikyo shook her head. "Kagura, Kanna, and I are heading over to the airport to pick her brother up. Everybody needs a welcoming party, you know."

      Inuyasha nodded at this, while I stared at my foot, which was planted firmly on the cement. It was nothing interesting to look at, really, I mean – it was a _foot_. Besides being my foot, it was still nothing worth taking more than two seconds of looking at. But the tension caused by Inuyasha's infatuation with my sister was sickening. I couldn't look up at the two, lest I will puke. 

      "What time will you be home?" I asked Kikyo.

      "Probably late. We'll all be heading to dinner afterwards, so don't try and wait up." She said. "Mom knows I'll be gone for awhile, so you don't have to worry yourself by telling her. Can you just help Souta with his homework for today?"

      I nodded in consent, too weary to protest. I hated doing, or even helping, homework other than my own. If one did not understand the whole lot of their homework, it meant they were stupid, or just that they did pay attention in class. People really should just give it up. Being mentally incapable is not an excuse to drag the unwilling into their web of stupidity. 

      "Good, then our little conversation is over," Kagura said, evidently bored out of her mind. She had been absently tapping against the leather steering wheel of her car. "I'll probably be late in picking up my stupid brother. I'll see you later, Kagome?"

      Her red eyes slid, ever so slowly, from me, to Inuyasha. She gave him a smirk, glancing back at Kikyo and me. "And nice seeing you, Inuyasha."

      I waved a goodbye, and with that, Kikyo, Kagura, and Kanna were off. I stayed where I was, watching them drive out of my eyesight. 

--

       I hate those foreboding feelings. I really, really do. One minute I'm just standing there, like any other normal girl in the world, and then – bang! All these feelings rush at you without any mercy whatsoever. Right then, and right there, I saw disjointed images of anything, memories, pictures, and scenes from events that I never knew happened. I heard voices of those that I did, and didn't recognize. All of this was from a language that I did not know. 

      "_Han kommer._" Someone told me. I frowned, trying to decipher what it meant. Ham Come 'ere, did she say? Ham is coming here? Hey… that didn't make any sense. 

      "_Não, vem._" Eh? What was that, again? I saw a girl in front of me, shaking her head as a no. At this, a frowned in confusion. What did they say? What did it mean? And why, oh why, was I having hallucinations in the middle of a street? I took a step forward, realizing that it wasn't the concrete pavement I was standing on, but a field of… green grass. Well, no. Not green. Red. The grass was a shade of red, the kind of red that was the color of blood. The red that I did not want to see.

      Oh, shit. I'd have stains on my new, and perfectly white sneakers. Hesitantly, I peered down, to see that my shoes were wet. I crouched low on the ground, completely baffled, and tried to wipe the liquid off my immaculate shoes. My hands gently swiped across the top of my shoes, curiously peering down at the red fluid that stained them. To my complete and utter discomfort, I found out that it was, according to my suspicions, blood. 

      I let out a loud, shrill scream. So what if I was being some kind of sissy? There was _warm blood_ on my hands, dammit, belonging to Kami-sama-knows-who. And since the blood was warm, there meant there had to be a body somewhere, as well as the being that caused this death. Trust me, a tough-chick as I was, I did _not_ like the sight of mutilated bodies… or, any non-living bodies, for that matter. I also did not like to be formally introduced to the murderer, either, for, oh, obvious reasons. 

      Straightening myself up, I peered across the distance, wondering how the hell I should get out of here and return back on the streets, where I had been walking to the archery building. There, at least, I didn't get to see these gory images.

      _Thump thump, thump thump._ See? Even my heart knew I was afraid. Though I couldn't feel it pounding in my chest, I definitely heard it, with my own two ears. I placed a shaky hand over my chest, puzzled over the normal pulse rate. If my heart wasn't pounding like crazy, then… whose was?

      "Do not be afraid," Someone whispered to me, and I turned my confused gaze towards the source of his or her voice, only to find a crowd of people facing my way. At first glance, I thought they seemed pretty normal enough, so I neared them, hoping to ask them a way out. As I neared, however, I noticed that these people were transparent – they were spirits. They were decent enough, however, clad in cheap clothes, the kind one would usually get from a discount store, or the kind that were presumably hand-me-downs. I took it there that these people were of the lower middle class.

      One of these spirits offered me a hand. Biting my lower lip, I curiously examined the undead being in front of me. This spirit was a female, just about my age. She had a head of unruly locks of brown hair, which contrasted along with the soft freckles that dusted her face. She wasn't one that I would call hideous, nor gorgeous. She was comely, pleasing to the eye because of her kind, but wise gaze. She had gentle, but wise brown eyes, the kind that made a person like me trust easily. The girl had a pale complexion, as if she was very weak and sickly. Her lips, chapped, dry, and red, as if it were swollen, formed a smile as she caught me looking at her. I immediately blushed out of embarrassment – Gosh, I was being so rude!

      Looking away from the woman, I accepted her hand. I was expecting not to touch it, because, after all, she was a transparent being. I presumed that she would not be… well, tangible. But to my mild surprise, I felt the cool, calming touch of her hand as it closed around mine. I glanced about the other spirits as she began to walk along the path (Which suddenly had appeared there, out of nowhere, I might add.). They smiled and laughed at my earlier action, but it wasn't a laugh of taunting or jeering, but a laugh of… what was this? Happiness? The spirits began to follow my guide and I while keeping a respectable distance. 

      Curiously, I stared at my surroundings, rather glad with the company that came along with us. Even if I was with a group of strangers, I felt more at ease with them than alone in that wretched land of blood. And besides, my companions seemed friendly enough. 

      As we continued to walk, sounds of everyday life began to ring in my ears again. At first, I heard a bunch of crickets chirp, and then I heard voices. They were of ordinary people, speaking in the native language – of most that I could not understand. More voices began to add on, until it was as if I was in the marketplace, with a large amount of people bustling about, talking amongst themselves conversationally. I listened in amusement as my tour guide walked along, silently beckoning to me once and awhile. The voices suddenly grew quiet, and all I could hear was silence until I heard the streaming of water.

      "Are we near water?" I asked, looking at my tour guide expectantly. She merely smiled at me at shook her head.

      _Okaaaay…_ I thought, falling silent again to the soothing sound of water in my ears. This continued for a few moments time, until I heard footsteps. At first I looked about me again in confusion, but none of the spirits seemed to look at me in acknowledgement. I glanced down to the ground, only to realize that they were merely hovering, so of course those footsteps did not come from them. So, I supposed, that these footsteps, were unfortunately in my head.

      "Is She here?" A voice said, faint, and very soft. It was a wonder I was able to hear it. This time, I did not bother to look at the spirits in question, for I was certain these voices were inside my head. Instead of complaining and fleeing to look for a psychiatric ward, I remained were I was, on my way to wherever the spirits wanted to take me.

      "She is coming," Another voice said. "Very soon. A woman, the prophecy said – a miko. Worthy enough of the Jewel of Four Souls, I have come to know."

       …Eh? I was never an eavesdropper, whatever people say behind my back is all fine and dandy, I really don't care, but this little chitchat has gotten me to the point of intrigue. The jewel of Four Souls was the Shikon No Tama, the same jewel that my sister had come to own and protect. My sister also happened to be a Miko, therefore she was the woman they were talking about. Right? 

      A slight squeeze of my hand brought me out of the conversation. Try as I might, I could not return back to those voices, and suddenly everything was silent, just as it was before I heard things inside my head. Resigned, I glanced back at my guide, and realized that we were now standing in the doorway of some castle. It was dark, dank, and chilly, and for a moment I started to wonder if these spirits were truly kind as I thought they were.

      My guide pushed open the door, literally dragging me through the inside of the castle. It was a scary, morbid sight to see, like a castle that came out of a horror movie. I gulped, unwilling to go any further, but the spirit stubbornly pushed me forward along with her. Along the halls we went, until we reached a courtyard. At this time, I was beginning to feel calmer, this time walking with an air with less reluctance… until I tripped. I lost my grip with my guide, and suddenly I found myself staring up at a tombstone. Any air of confidence I had then had left me.

      It wasn't as bad as a skeleton, or a rotting body on the floor, but it was still scary. I raised my eyes to see that, indeed, the entire courtyard was filled with numerous graves. There were more than I could count, making one ponder the question, "What happened to these people?". Not able to take it any longer, I shut my eyes tightly, and I remained where I was, until a brush of my hand forced me to crack one eye open.

      It was my spirit guide. She smiled at me comfortingly, giving me the courage to reach out and grasp her hand again. She pulled me upwards, and again we trekked through the castle, until finally we reached out destination – the throne room. My guide opened the door, gently ushering me in. I glanced at her uncertainly, and then at the crowd who seemed as if they would not take a step forward. Instead, they fell to their knees, as if whoever was in this castle was a supreme, and very powerful person. 

      My spirit guide, however, unfaltering pushed through, leading me again. I followed her in, glancing at the end of a room, where a throne stood on heightened ground. It was a silver (Or was it platinum?) throne, decorated richly with an array of beautiful, expensive, and obviously rare jewels. Next to the throne, stood a pedestal, with a wooden box – probably for holding something very valuable – that was completely empty except for the blue velvet that lined inside it. However, something was supposed to be held inside it. Something precious, above all the jewels that were lying on the throne.

      I looked to my guide in question, only to find that she was kneeling on the floor, prostrated, as a sign of respect. Baffled, I glanced back up at the throne, to find a very attractive woman sitting in the seat. A crown of purely snow-white hair rested on her head, and, though, one might think her old from first glance, she certainly wasn't. As I studied her face, I realized that she had the face of a woman in her early twenties. Her skin was pale, almost translucent. Long, coal-colored eyelashes were lined up perfectly against her lightly blushed cheeks; her eyes were closed. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, and a pair of calm, half lidded blue eyes looked intensely at me. Moments passed, until her pink lips formed a sly smile.

      "I see that my friends have taken you safely here," She began in a soft voice, calm, soft, and completely ethereal. There was no way on earth that she could have been human. The woman glanced at my spirit guide, who I had momentarily forgotten, and nodded in consent.

      "Very well, Mieko," The woman said. "You have served under my wishes, and for that I grant you a blessing. Please, excuse us."

      My former guide nodded obediently, and swept a curtsey for the woman, whom I had now claimed as Snow White. Before leaving, the spirit sent a glance at me and smiled. After this she departed, leaving me to wonder if I would ever see her again. After staring at the door for a second or two, I turned my gaze back to the woman, who smiled at me again.

      She rose from her chair, revealing the apparel she wore. It was a dress, and a completely white one at that. She looked so beautiful in it that it was almost painful to look at her. I bit my lower lip as she started making her way towards me, her blue eyes intense.

      "I have been expecting you, my child," She said softly, placing a finger under my chin. She lifted it up towards her face, a ghost of a smile upon her lips.

      "I am Aislinn, Queen of Spirits," She was gazing intensely at my face. "I am your Guardian, chosen especially for you amongst the highest of immortal beings. I will make sure that you will be ready before the Day will come."

      I felt my eyes roll forward, and my body weight stagger. I did not have any strength to support my weight – it was almost painful to stay upright. Aislinn peered upon me as if I seemed to be as right as the day, watching me as I fell to the ground. My vision now distorted, and my eyelids heavy, there was nothing I could do but drift off into the depths of unconsciousness.

      "I will pay a visit to you tonight, Kagome." She said, through the hazy recesses of my mind. 

      "_Kagome_…"

--

      "Kagome!" Someone yelled. "Dammit bitch, wake up!"

      I felt someone's tight grip on my shoulders, getting tighter each time someone called my name. I started to be shaken, the voice of that someone growing louder and louder by each moment. But I didn't want to snap out of my daze… I felt so calm, so safe, so loved. I didn't want that feeling to go away, back to the normal, everyday life where I am treated properly like a piece of poop would. 

      "Whaddya want?!" I hissed grumpily, swatting blindly at the fool who brought me back to the living hell of reality. "Lemme alone… It's not time to go to school yet…" 

      As I started to doze off again, I heard someone's sharp intake of breath. I merely ignored it, even though it was an apparent, but unspoken threat. I snuggled back into the warmth of… something I was laying on, my hand reaching over to grab a blanket. Instead of having my silk sheets, I came into contact with something… cotton. My brows furrowed in a confused manner, as I wondered idly why the servants changed my perfectly fine sheets into this cheap _thing._ Too tired to complain, I made a mental note to complain later, tugging on the sheets to pull over my body. But as I tried to tug, I came into contact with something warm. Something that felt like… skin.

       Immediately my eyes flew open. What was going on, anyway? Almost unwillingly, I glanced around me, only to meet the gaze of a very surprised hanyou. Golden eyes locked with mine, and moment after moment passed, almost seeming like an eternity to me. The gaze was almost magnetic – to a certain point that neither of us could pull away, but at the same time, neither of us made a move to get closer. Not that I wanted to get closer… Heck, if I had some pepper spray right now I'm sure I'd make it useful. At least, I thought I would…

      Finally I looked away, and at the ground, only to see instead – my legs, straddling another's, of those who undoubtedly belonged to Inuyasha. I let out a startled shriek and stood up, muttering rushed apologies as I brushed myself from any dirt that stained my clothes. I was blushing madly, and out of the corner of my eye I could see that I wasn't the only one. Discreetly, I looked around the area, breathing a sigh of relief when I saw that no one was there. At least Kami-sama was with me.

      "Wha… what happened?" I managed to finally ask, after regaining one tenth of my composure. At least it was some composure; it was good enough for me. 

--

      "Inuyasha?" I heard her mutter my name, and she started to repeat the question again. Of course, she didn't have any reason to. I heard her perfectly well, but how the hell do I describe the events that took place? Well… I might as well just give it a try. Sighing, I started to explain. This wasn't going to be easy.

      After _my_ Kikyo and her friends Kagura and Kanna drove off, Kagome merely stood there for a few minutes or so, watching them leave. I questioned her sanity then, but instead of running away like the sensible man would do, I remained there, calling out her name. I started waving my hand in front of her face, but still there was no reaction. She stood there, like a doll. Her expression never faltered. It remained blank and emotionless. It was almost as if I was looking into a lifeless face: all her color was drained, her eyes unseeing, and her lips parted as if she wanted to speak to someone that I could not see. 

      It was to my _slight_ relief when Kagome started walking – it was a reaction, at least she was not entirely dead. She started to walk, like a zombie, only with one hand outstretched. I knew then that she didn't know where she was going, or what she was doing. Fortunately for her, she didn't start walking towards the busy street, but towards what seemed like a secluded park. I eyed her path suspiciously, checking for any shady spots that Kagome would accidentally stumble upon. Seeing it was safe, I shrugged and decided I should go. Leave her be, I thought, but my moral side got the best of me. Swearing under my breath, I quickened my pace to catch up with her.

      She continued on walking, taking us deeper and deeper into the heart of the park. She continued to walk, until finally she spotted. Thank God. And there she stood, for a long time, until she unexpectedly she fell forward. Knowing Kikyo wouldn't like her younger sister to go splat, I stepped up to her and caught her, like the good little boy I was. It was unexpected, though, how hard she fell, and soon both of us tumbled down to the ground, my tush getting the full blow of it all. 

      It was then I started calling out her name. And then, after a series of events followed, we found ourselves in that uncomfortable gaze…

      "Oh, I see," Kagome said quietly as I finished relating to her the story. She was quiet afterwards, her brows furrowed in deep thought. Once in awhile she would mutter the occasional "Damn". I stood up as she was consumed in her own little world, impatient and itching to get out of this damn park.

      "Still up for that archery lesson?" I asked her, arms crossed, and foot tapping against the stone path of the park. Kagome lifted her eyes towards mine, her face paling, ever so slightly.

      "Oh shit!" She exclaimed, slapping her forehead with the palm of her hand. "I forgot about that! I'm _so_ late! Oh, gosh, they're gonna kill me for this!"

      I rolled my eyes. "Relax, wench—"

      "And where the _hell_ is my bike?!" She moaned. "It's probably out there in the public street, where crazy muggers could go and steal it from me! Oh, and it was my most favorite, too… I suppose I'd have to go and get a new one, then… But that bike would be mighty handy to get there more quickly, especially at a moment like this…"

      "Oh, gee, how stressing it is to go out and _buy_ a bike," I muttered sarcastically, tired of her incoherent ramblings. "C'mon, you're not dirt poor, wench, you can manage. And besides, your instructor wouldn't mind that much if you're late for one class…"

      "No, genius," Kagome told me with a feral look. "I _am_ the instructor."

      I arched an eyebrow. So there really was more than meets the eye with this girl. I wonder what she'd surprise me with next. 

-- 

**Author's Note: **Okay, another chappie finished. I think it's my best so far… So, anyway guys, what did you think? Do tell me, and review, review, review! I look forward to this stuff, ya know…

Oh, yes. Just a small question. How was Inuyasha's character? =/ It's sort of hard for me to write about him, since I don't have the mind of a guy and I don't even have the vaguest idea of what is going on in their heads. I hope he seems badass and relatively IC to you people…


	6. Heart and Soul

Disclaimer: No. I don't think I still would have to put this down every chapter, do you? =/ 

**Author's note: **Sorry it took a long time to update. I got a new computer in the process, and it took quite a long while to get Microsoft Word software and install it. I don't like using any other typing documents… =/ But anyway, when I finally got Microsoft Word, I had a problem with Windows and couldn't open the floppy disk I saved this new chapter about. So, much thanks to my sister **_Rukiina_**, she helped me into getting my chapter back. I lovels her very much. ;

Anyway, on with the chapter. Though I think there's a mild ( Don't think it's even relatively mild. It could be relative to relatively mild fluff or kindness. ) fluff or developing friendship within the first segment of this chapter, the title is not what you would think.

Oh, and yes. The character Aislinn is aaaaaaaaaaaallllll mine. Plus I made this chapter look pretty. ;

* * *

****

**Heart and Soul   
****x Iced Insanity **

**

* * *

**

****

I must admit that Inuyasha was quite surprised when I told him about my occupation. It made me wonder what he really thought at the sight of me. Did I look as weak and defenseless as I was truly not? Whatever the matter, I can't help feeling a bit disappointed. Sure, looks aren't exactly everything, but it was a bit insulting to think I was being degraded just because of my stature, my skin tone, and my alleged 'optimistic' personality. Around I was not too comfortable with, I was friendly and a bit too polite. But around my friends, I figure they think I'm one of the bitchiest girls in the world. After all, what kind of best friend would kick her friend in the nuts for fun, _and_ tease incessantly over another's crushes? This friend would, apparently.

As I sat on the bleachers outside the archery building, I fished around in my pockets for a handkerchief and surreptitiously wiped the sweat off my brow. I probably must have smelled worse than dirty socks that haven't been washed for over a year. Ruefully I braced a glance at the hanyou sitting next to me. Oh, poor Inuyasha. He was probably holding in all the breath he had, for he had a demon nose, thus giving him a heightened sense of smell.

"Inuyasha?" I called out to him.

"What?" He asked irritably.

"Don't you think you should be going home for tonight?" I nudged him in the ribs. "Myouga-chan must be worrying sick about you. Fluffy, too."

A pregnant silence followed, and for a moment I thought Inuyasha was not going to answer me. I kept quiet and decided not to say anything rude, however, and took delight in twiddling my thumbs. It was actually quite amusing, especially for a worn-out girl who had taught hours and hours of archery lessons. Twiddle, twiddle.

Eventually I heard my companion next to me sigh. "Rin is still in the locker rooms."

"Rin? You mean the little girl that's in my class?" I asked, staring straight ahead in front of me. I taught an archery class for children around four-o-click in the afternoon. It was a full class, since parents obviously wanted their little buggars to be taught by a miko, if not an inexperienced one. I had to particular favorite children who were among my group of students: a fox-demon kit, named Shippo, and a new student, named Rin. I loved both to death. Not only were they persevering, but also they were sweet. Whenever Shippo caught sight of me, he always had the heart to pummel into my belly, squealing my name in joy. Occasionally he would make me a small toy or other, such as a wooden train, or a wooden top. On my birthday he had granted me a stuffed toy of himself. Rin, on the other hand, did not spoil me with such things. She was not on the top of my class, however she was a trying student. She never complained, but always grit her teeth and tried harder.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said. "She's my cousin. Adopted."

"Oh," I said in reply, not bothering to hide the surprise in my tone. "I didn't know that. But she must love you very much."

"Feh." He said, and watched the subject of our conversation bound down the steps to us. Rin was solely focused on the steps that she had to go through, and did not even both in turning her head our way to greet us. Once she got through those stairs, however, she turned her eyes towards us and flashed a smile.

"Miss Higurashi!" She gasped when she neared, ignoring her cousin. "Did I do good in class today?"

"Of course, Rin!" I enthused. "You're one of my best students, did you know that?"

"I am?" She started to say, but got cut off when Inuyasha rudely spoke.

"You know," He huffed impatiently. "It's getting damn late and I'm tired. Are you two still gonna chat like chipmunks or am I gonna bring you home?"

"I'm sorry, Rin," I told the girl, smirking to myself when Inuyasha snorted when my apology did not include him. "I didn't mean to keep you so late… I suppose it's time for you to go home, ne? I'll see you next week."

"And where do you think _you're_ going?" Inuyasha demanded, arching an eyebrow. "You don't have another class, so are you coming with us or not?"

"Y-you're walking me home?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"Well, isn't that what it seems like I'm doing?" Inuyasha retorted, holding out a hand towards Rin, who gladly accepted. Both looked expectantly at me, until I sighed, slinging my towel over my shoulder.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

* * *

I sat in my bed, exhausted. With great effort, I started taking off my socks, one by one, scrunching my nose in the sweaty odor that it gave off. Disgusted, and feeling ready to vomit, I flicked the material to the side.

I fell back in bed, feeling moist and dirty, for teaching a class of archery lessons. A knock on my door startled me out of my thoughts. Knowing it was Souta, I pretended to be asleep because there was no way I was going to do the little idiot's homework. Not me, not now. I rolled over in bed, scrunching up my nose at the smell of the buckets of sweat that lingered on my school uniform. Oh, how disgusting. I shouldn't have tried that fencing practice afterwards; I smelled so vile.

"Sis, please… I really need your help," Souta said from the doorway. Although his voice did not resemble a whine, he sounded desperate, almost as if he had to cry. I knew my heart was too kind to turn him away, so I stood up grumpily and headed to the door. With a heavy sigh, I opened it, ushering my youngest sibling inside.

"Make yourself comfortable," I said dryly. Souta gave me a cute smile of appreciation, pushing through one of my three sets of curtains that divided my room from my sleeping area, my tea area, and my study area. My brother headed to my small tea 'room' and placed his third grade textbooks on my small table. Souta loved the tea area in my room; it was near the balcony, of which I had decorated simply with my favorite flowers: pink roses. Souta loved these flowers, and he also loved the breathtaking view my balcony offered.

"What do you need help with?" I asked my little brother, after setting my tea tray down on another table. Souta pushed his notebook towards me. Glancing at his scribbles, I winced. "Ew! Long multiplication! Really, Souta, isn't there anything else you need help with?"

"Nope," He said meekly. He bowed his head, as if he were ashamed of himself. "Sorry, sis."

As I watched him, I couldn't help but give in to defeat. Even though I called him names, played pranks and taunted him, Souta was and always will be my little brother. I couldn't help but love him to pieces, and both Kikyo and I knew that. Whatever Souta asked for, I would grudgingly (but willingly) comply. And it was this sisterly love that got me here in the first place, helping him with the dreaded _multiplication._ I shuddered. It wasn't that I didn't know multiplication: I just didn't like it. Multiplication was needed in order for geometry, and geometry was something I could not, would not do. Even my math teacher knew that, and despite all the help he tried to offer me, nothing worked. Ever since I was little, I always had trouble with math – all my other grades were just perfect A pluses. It seemed like Souta was stuck in the same ditch as me.

"So what's the first problem?" I asked, and Souta searched around for his math textbook, and opened up to the first problem. I tilted my head to the side, reading along as he did. I nodded every now and then as he tried to complete the problem – and with my beloved calculator I checked the problems. Half of them were right. Wearily I glanced at an incorrect problem, and tore out a piece of paper from his notebook.

"Here's the problem: one thousand twenty three times seventeen," I read, and looked at his answer. It was nineteen thousand, four hundred thirty seven. I frowned at this, forming quick calculations inside my head. "No, Souta… You multiplied by _nineteen_, not by the seventeen you were supposed to do…"

* * *

Again I found myself sprawled upon my silk bed sheets. The only difference, that this time around, I clean, and actually smelled _good_. After my laborious hours tutoring Souta, I took a nice, long shower, reveling in the feel of hot water against my skin. Afterwards I headed straight to bed, too tired to even bother around with the hours of homework I was assigned. I would start on it tomorrow morning, I figured, while I set my alarm clock to 5:00am in the morning. Then, I had about two hours to do some homework before the bus came at 7:30.

I tucked myself under my blankets, burrowing deep to find a good spot to sleep in. Once I made myself comfortable, I reached for my velvet kitsune stuffed toy, mainly out of habit. It was my most favorite out of my many collections. That was because a student of mine at the archery building gave it to me. The student was Shippo, the cutest little boy I had ever seen. When I first met him, I often would obsess over his foxtail, and he let me – albeit grudgingly.

Smiling to myself the memory, I felt my eyelids drift shut and soon I fell into a deep sleep. Little did I know that it was going to be a long night – the start of many troubled, sleepless nights.

* * *

"Kagome," I heard someone call. Groggily I opened my eyes, startled at the soft, cool touch of someone's fingers against my forehead. I was staring up at the face of the Spirit Queen, whom I grudgingly paid a visit to moments earlier. Warily, and almost untrusting, I glanced about me, seeing that I no longer lay on my soft, comfortable bed. I looked at her sourly, like a mouse deprived of cheese would. I crossed my arms and subconsciously pouted, silently demanding that I get more beauty sleep.

"Just five more minutes of sleep, _please?_" I begged, clasping my hands cutely to make her waver. It was my special trick: I always got what I wanted when I was a child because of this. "…I'll give you a cookie."

"…Do you feel drowsy?" Aislinn asked, the tone of her voice containing a slight sense of concern. She arched a brow at me, scanning my face for any sign of fatigue.

I stared at her stupidly, shifting my position from kneeling prostrated on the floor. We were in the throne room of Aislinn's castle, she, upon her chair, and I, kneeling to _her _of all things! I grunted at my unmeant position, curling up to sit down, Indian style, in front of the otherworldly woman in front of me. Whispers of the spirits watching us silently ricocheted across the room, indignant and astonished.

It was then I brightly realized that not even an _ounce_ of sleep weighed on my eyelids. Perplexed, I shook my head in affirmation, and an easy grin crept across my Guardian's mouth. Her eyes sparkled in silent laughter as she straightened against her throne.

"You are in a dream," She explained. "A subconscious of the reality that exists around you. From now on our conferences will exist here. I cannot have you in the _Het veld van Bloed_ again."

"The Head von whatta?" I repeated.

"It is Dutch for 'Field of Blood'," Aislinn replied patiently. "Legend articulates about a woman who was slaughtered brutally in _Het veld van Bloed_. Her murderers realized she was pregnant for about four or five months. The child that they had discovered was eradicated of its mother's womb, and before they could dispose of the fetus, they perceived that it held both human and demon-like characteristics. It was definitely a hanyou.

"The band of assassins feared for the child's father. They fled from the area soon after, and they appeared to be secure for a small number of days. However, one night, the demon father found the murderers and brought them to the field and butchered them. Once his task was completed, the demon vanished. He was never seen again.

"Some say that the blood that lies on the field is the blood of the murderers. Others say it is the blood of the human mother and her hanyou son. No one is certain – but on the nights of the crescent moon, feminine shrieks could be heard. Most believe it is the shrieks of the human girl, but again, no one will ever know.

"Oh." I replied, a little to freaked out by the tale she told. I clenched my hands until they turned completely white, expecting a raging demon to come out and slaughter me any moment. Aislinn sensed this, I noticed, as I glanced at the smirk upon her lips.

"Um, anyway. Just to make sure, and to totally switch the topic, I have a question to ask." I said in a squeaky whisper.

"Yes?"

"Am I… sleepwalking somewhere?" I asked uncertainly. This time, there was no Inuyasha around to save me. My soulless body could have been jumping off the balcony for all I knew.

"No." Aislinn said calmly, her vivid blue eyes probing into my own. "Your body currently lies in your bed, living, breathing, and, of course, dreaming. It is your spirit – your soul that exists here."

"But… why am I not sleepwalking this time?"

I would expect my Guardian to roll her eyes in frustration because of my never-ending questions, but her expression never changed. I would never know if she thought ill of me that moment, but she was calm as ever, that was for sure.

"Our Bond then did not exist," She said softly. "Calling you to me would not be possible, so I merely waited until you freely came to _me._ Once formalities were tied, our Bond was created. With that Bond, I may come to your aid whenever I deem you need it. In this case, I called you to me to prepare you for what is to come."

She watched me silently as I began to digest this. As I opened my mouth to ask another question, Aislinn stood up, stretching her hand out to me. Her gaze on me was impersonal and beckoning. Immediately I stood up, feeling the need to obey, to grant her every wish. It was strange how a simple gaze can cause me to feel like _this_. It was probably something Aislinn was trained to do – a tool, a device that made others gladly fall to her feet. I was probably just one of them: a pawn in her game. I was a pawn that had no choice but to follow.

"I have no wish to respond to any more of your inquiries, my child," She said, her fingers curling lightly around mine. "I would oblige to your requests if I could. But I cannot; I brought you here to do what I _must_ do. There is no time for small distractions."

I nodded. Aislinn grinned down at me as she tugged me out of the throne room. We walked through the lonely corridors of the castle. The dark hallways lit up as we passed by, and vaguely I noticed that the castle was actually well decorated and beautiful – once the lights were on, that was. Portraits of many pets and family members hung grandly in the larger hallways. When I walked past, sometimes I would see the frowns of their mouths shift into the most faint, but visible ghost of a smile. It was strange, almost like the portraits in those Harry Potter series. The only difference here was that these faces didn't move, they just appeared to be: almost like a hallucination.

As my Guardian walked, I could hear the soft echoes of her crystal shoes click against the stone floors. I couldn't help but wonder if she stole those slippers from Cinderella herself. I was just about to ask, except I was under the fear of her abandoning her mission to teach me what she was supposed to. Instead I took my own delight in watching her feet move. She carried her body with such a distinguished air of grace and superiority… I hoped she was going to teach me to act like _that._

The pair of us remained silent until we finally reached our destination. We had trekked through the farthest wing of the castle, and through a flight of murderous staircases until I was pretty much sure I finally accomplished the goal of losing ten pounds. I was panting when my companion pushed open the golden doors of the room she wanted to show to me.

"Come, child." Aislinn whispered to me softly. "There is not much time."

She guided me to a small outlet near to the exit and instructed me to remove my slippers. I obediently followed through with her orders, expecting her to do the same. But she didn't. Looking to me again, she spoke in a soft voice that dripped of her obvious warning.

"The place I shall show you is completely sacred. No mortal is permitted here, but under these circumstances, I requested to the Council that you come. They granted me permission to send you here, but you _must_ abide by their rules." At this, she paused. I had the feeling that she was waiting for my agreement, my promise, so without thinking, I nodded. My Guardian studied my face for any hint of a lie, but I supposed she saw none, since she continued.

"You must wear a blindfold," Aislinn instructed, handing me a piece of cloth. I glanced distastefully at it, but because I had no other choice, I fastened it on tightly.

"With this blindfold, you will see through closed eyes," She continued, only to get a skeptical grunt from me. I opened my mouth to ask a question, but I came to a conclusion that I could not speak. It was probably Aislinn's doing. I cursed at her mentally.

"The only way you are able to see is if you clear your mind," My Guardian continued. "That means any selfish form of thought is forbidden. These especially count for those that are egotistical or _profane_."

Aislinn stressed the word 'profane', and from then on I knew she could read my thoughts. I winced, but nodded again. I had to watch myself around this woman.

"This is both a test and a training device," She said. "We will observe if your soul is pure enough to push back the evil recesses of your mind. We will also use this experience to allow your mind to grow accustomed to having no distracting trains of thought. Because of this understanding, you will apply this lesson to further circumstances that require this technique. Though you may not encounter the event immediately, it still is vital information for you to study."

I nodded. I was actually a bit nervous from the way Aislinn talked. She seemed so serious and so worried for what is to come my way. From what I gather, it looked as if it was going to be something life threatening. I did not do life threatening – I preferred to be very safe, thank you very much. Whenever I watched those horror movies at the cinema I was glad I led a quiet life. Things like that, I vowed, would never happen to me. The irony of it all…

"Seeing that you agree," Aislinn said. "I understand that you are prepared to cross the threshold?"

After another bob of my head, I tried to 'clear my mind' as my Guardian instructed me to. It wasn't as easy as I had expected it to be – I was a dreamer sort of girl. I dreamed things up instead of taking action. Even though I was athletic, I was always lazy… I didn't like to move around for my own good. Most of the time I wished I could curl up and sleep. If not for the will to escape Kikyo's shadow, I would have been a _fat _couch potato.

I felt Aislinn's light grip on my fingers. She never fully held me by the hand; instead she just gave me the faintest grasps of my forefinger, middle finger, and my ring finger. When she tried to lead me to a certain area, she merely squeezed my fingers slightly and tugged with the softest of pressures. Afterwards, when she was sure that I followed, she let go and led the way.

This instance made no difference to the usual occasions. Once she forced me to follow her, I nearly whined out of fear. I still couldn't see: thoughts of failure clouded my so-called 'vision'. All my life, I had been pressured to not fail – the least I could do, according to my mother, was to be remotely as good as Kikyo.   
  
_No, no, no, no! _ I pushed these memories aside, refusing to think anymore of my semi-unhappy childhood. I took a moment to remain where I was, clenching and unclenching my hands. I needed to regain my composure. I needed to stop thinking about this, and live my life the way I wanted to. I couldn't live as Kikyo's shadow for the rest of my life, I reminded myself again.

This slight reassurance caused my blind eyes (Not a literal meaning, but you could sorta guess where I'm going) to see blurry images. Through my closed eyes and the blindfold covering them, I was able to see the lone figure of a woman standing in front of me. Her body twisted slightly, her head inclined towards me as if she was waiting for me to follow – a silent beckoning. I suspected this figure was Aislinn.

I pushed back any wandering thoughts and went forward. Though I could only interpret shadows with my mind, the blurry quality to them gradually decreased and I could finally make my way through. I held my chin up high, suddenly confident with my actions. Aislinn's outline turned at my movements and started walking. I cheerfully followed. Sometimes my vision would blur, but after a bit of my coaxing, it eventually would regain its quality.

My Guardian and I would continue to walk in silence, until suddenly she stopped in front of a… thing. It wasn't a large object, just about the size of my fist. My brows furrowed, trying to decipher what the hell it was. From the blurry shadows I could not see what it was, much to my dislike.

"If you touch it," Aislinn began. "You may see it in color."

I hesitated.

"Go on," She urged gently. "The Council allows it."

I knew this wasn't going to go along well, but nevertheless, I did it anyway. When I came into contact with it, I felt a sticky liquid in between my fingers. My mind immediately registered it as something perverted, until the touch allowed me to see the… thing in color. And when the image entered my mind, I fought the urge to scream. It was a heart – literally. It wasn't the kind that a normal person thought of when involving cupid, but more like the hearts involving one's respiratory system.

What made things worse, was that the heart was _beating._ As if it lived on its own. I grimaced.

"Beware those who have no heart," Aislinn said in her usual monotone. Her voice dripped with caution, instead of their usual indifference. "They are your allies, but also your adversaries. Do not be deterred by their primary façade."

Behind my Guardian, there stood two figures. I could not interpret their faces, and the only conclusion I came to was that these figures were most likely female. One was just about my height, if not just a few inches taller. She – I say she is a she because of her, um… womanly curves – stood around the height of 5'4. The other, of whom I can only guess was a female – she simply had long hair, and was most likely was too young to even near puberty.

As I finished examining the silhouettes of these two 'females', Aislinn's outline started to pace away. I quickened my steps to follow her. It was not a long walk this time, just a couple of steps. I waited patiently as Aislinn stood by an outline of a pedestal. At least, I presumed it looked like a pedestal… After a soft puff of breath, I knew she was going to speak. I raised my chin a little higher in her direction.

"Beware of the living dead," She said. "No soul or conscience exists in their synthetic bodies. Though they may also give the impression of being your ally, they are not. Towards you, they will show no mercy, whether you are their kin or close acquaintance. After all, they have no minds – they are simply a pawn to their master. Therefore do not hesitate if you ever encounter the choice in harming them."

"Kagome," Aislinn glanced at me expectantly. "Those spirits you met earlier -- they are bound to a fate that only _you _can change. This is why you are with me now, Kagome. You _must _save them.

Again I nodded. I watched her as her figure turned towards what seemed like a window. Her head tilted slightly towards the side, as if she was peering out from it. I stayed where I was, simply observing. I was too tired to move again, and somehow I felt my body heaving from exhaustion. There was no way I wanted to faint again, just like last time.

"Our time together will soon come to an end," Aislinn told me calmly. "If you wish to meet with me again before our next scheduled conference, speak my name and I will answer your call."_  
_  
I nodded.

"I will see you again," My Guardian said, touching my hand. "Until next time."

I watched with my mind as her outline disappeared. There I stood, until I felt the slightest pressure on my hand. I tilted my head to look down at whatever I was holding, and I saw a flower. She probably put the thing into my hand when she said goodbye. And since I was the most incredible dolt alive, it was not surprising that I did not notice.

I lifted my head, trying to find the way out that Aislinn so brightly did not show me. It was dangerous to walk around with a vision such as mine. I couldn't see in good detail. Images were all in a black-and-gray blur. I could fall into a hole and not notice until it was too late.

I continued to walk around blindly – well, sort of – around the place where Aislinn last stood. The window was still there, I could tell. I debated whether I was desperate enough to jump out or not.

As luck would have it, I ungraciously tripped into a hole, yes; a hole (Just my luck) and I fell in. I let out a loud, surprised shriek while unconsciousness engulfed me.

* * *

I woke up in a sweat. As my eyes opened, I only found myself staring into the darkness that the blindfold offered me. I sat up immediately, ripping the silk cloth apart. I turned on my bedside light and gazed cautiously at my blindfold. There was absolutely no way of denying that my dream was not just my imagination; not just because of the blindfold I woke up with, but the flower. From the artificial light that came from my lamp, I classified the flower's color. White.

It was a white lily. A beautiful flower, even though it symbolized death.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Okay, how is it? I noticed the Dutch thing doesn't exactly translate, since I used once of those online translator machine-thingamajigs. I'm not even the least bit Dutch, so I really wouldn't know. I tried Latin, but I couldn't find a free Latin translator. Oh, I'm but a stupid Filipina…

But anyway, please tell me how you like it. It's your reviews that keep me going. If I don't get any per chapter, I don't write. Not that I'm demanding or anything, but it could just be that people don't read my stories. However, I'm very happy with the 18-or-so reviews that I have so far, and right now I'm willing to answer any questions in my future author's notes. – I just realized we could do that… Eh hehehe.


End file.
